Topuria and Makhachev dispute who declined White House event fight

Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev have engaged in a public dispute over conflicting accounts of why their planned fight at the White House event did not materialize. Topuria claimed he went to sleep knowing the fight with Makhachev was scheduled, only to receive a call hours before the announcement stating that Islam had sustained an injury and he would face Justin Gaethje instead. Makhachev fired back, stating he accepted the fight immediately when offered but was told the next day that Topuria requested an enormous fee and was denied, resulting in the fight's cancellation. Makhachev insisted that even Topuria's manager confirmed this version and urged Topuria to stop lying, adding in a late-night social media exchange that "today this is not him" posting. The contradictory narratives have left fans uncertain about which fighter is telling the truth regarding who actually declined the bout.